My Little Cheap Dictaphone: The Tragic Tale of a Genius – review

Ambition in pop is no bad thing. Without Brian Wilson grasping the envelope and shoving it, the Beach Boys could have been remembered as an end-of-the-boardwalk novelty. With it, Wilson became an artist worthy of having entire works devoted to him. Indeed, this Belgian foursome have paid homage to him with their fourth record, an indie-rock concept piece loosely based on Wilson's descent into mental illness. And like their muse, they're not unambitious. However, TTTOAG contains plenty of charming flourishes but too few big ideas. Its influences zip around the modern alt-rock canon: drum fills and tempo changes that Win Butler might have coordinated; the stadium balladeering of No Self Esteem nicked from Chris Martin. There's not much nuance in the lyrics, either. Slow Me Down's account of the titular genius descending into bacchanalia is described thus: "Let's go and party like there's no tomorrow." Still, it's hard to scorn an ensemble whose next project is a live imitation of a 1950s US cityscape – and whether that ends up more like Spinal Tap's Stonehenge than Pet Shop Boys' dancing skyscrapers, you've got to admire the intent.